Noblesville (IPA: [ˈnoʊ.bl̩zˌvɪl]) is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 28,590 at the 2000 census. The
Indiana annual demographic update placed the 2005 population at 38,825. The city is the county
seat of Hamilton County6.
Noblesville is home of the Verizon Wireless Music Center, a
major outdoor music venue, and the Indiana Transportation Museum.
Geography
Noblesville is located at 40°2′60″N, 86°1′17″W (40.049935,
-86.021462)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 49.4 km² (19.1 mi²). 46.4 km² (17.9 mi²) of it
is land and 3.0 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (6.03%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 28,590 people, 10,576 households, and 7,879 families
residing in the city. The population density was 616.0/km² (1,595.8/mi²). There were
11,294 housing units at an average density of 243.3/km² (630.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.34% White, 1.14% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.39% of the population.
There were 10,576 households out of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were
non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 34.5% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from
45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $61,455, and the median income for a family was $70,914. Males had a median
income of $48,734 versus $31,769 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$28,813. About 4.3% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Hamilton County courthouse in downtown Noblesville.
History
Noblesville was incorporated as a city on May 6, 1887. The city is named either for James Noble, a state senator, or according
to legend, for Lavinia Noble of Indianapolis, to whom Josiah Polk, city co-founder, was engaged.
Noblesville is home to the Hamilton County, Indiana courthouse, built in
1879, and Potter's Bridge, a historic covered bridge. You can still walk through Potters
Bridge to this day even though it is blocked from cars to drive in.
William Dudley Pelley, an American Fascist and
leader of the Silver Legion settled in Noblesville. Shortly after arriving in
Noblesville, he was charged with high treason and sedition in April 1942. He was eventually sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, but was released early in 1950.
Pelley returned to Noblesville and founded Soulcraft Press, where he began publishing metaphysical and political magazines and
books. He died in 1965 at the age of 75 and is buried at Crownland Cemetery in Noblesville.
Noblesville is also known because of it's history of either flooding in the spring, or
droughts in the summer. The White River and Morse resevoir are a big part. During droughts,
boats can be found laying on mud rather than water, and it can be huge amounts of damage
resulted to them, because they sometimes fall off their stands and crash on th ground.
Flooding in the spring is frequent, because the white river is fed through the resivoir, many
neighborhoods and streets get flooded with the river. Most notably the street under the train
bridge.
Past KKK activity
In 1995, a large trunk was discovered in an abandoned barn. The trunk contained over 1,000 membership cards and dues receipts
revealing the names of citizens of the local chapter of the Invisible Empire of the Ku Klux
Klan, as well as hoods, sashes and other equipment, according to Allen Safianow, professor of history at Indiana University's Kokomo campus.
In the lead article in the June issue of the Indiana Magazine of History, Safianow describes in detail the effects of
the discovery. They ranged from calls for public disclosure of the names to comments that the finder of the trunk, a local
building contractor named Don Roberts, should have burned its contents and kept his discovery secret. Instead, Roberts donated
all of the Klan materials to the Hamilton County Historical Society, where they are preserved as
a valuable resource for those seeking a better understanding of the Klan's operations in Indiana.
"You can't burn history," Roberts said later in explaining his decision. "That's what is wrong today. Too many people are
trying to bury history, and history is history. You may have liked to change it, but it's gone, it's behind us."
Despite the strong KKK presence in Noblesville from the 1910s through 1930s, the Noblesville courthouse was the site of the
1925 trial of KKK Grand Dragon D. C. Stephenson, a
prominent political figure who kidnapped and raped an Indianapolis State House
secretary. He was found guilty and given the maximum prison sentence. Upon realizing his political allies would not come to his
aid, he started revealing everyone's dirty laundry. The scandal resulted in the indictment of
many Indiana politicians, including Governor Ed Jackson.
Notable People from Noblesville
Noblesville is the birthplace of Rex Stout, the creator of Nero Wolfe, the popular detective series. The city is the hometown of Steve
Wariner, a country music singer and
songwriter who enjoyed popularity during the 1980s and
1990s. Noblesville is also the hometown of professional
golfer and winner of The Big Break 5, Ashley
Prange.
External links
Coordinates:
40.049935° N 86.021462°
W
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